“FreeForm Records was formed in early 2011 as a platform for physical and digtal releases from Hip Hop & Electronic music artists operating around the world. Owned and operated by Rise (aka Mecca:83), FreeForm is intended as an outlet for both emerging and established talent. Expect to hear everything from downtempo jazz beats to bass heavy electronic vibrations. Don’t say we didn’t warn you….”
WE have a exclusive track from DistantStarr that you can DOWNLOAD HERE.
So right off the back when i first landed on your site, i could tell i was going to like what i was going to hear. From the website style, to the album art, everything is just simply sick! Its clear that Freeform Records see’s importance in the visual aspect of getting music out to the world. What is your thought proses with this aspect of the label? What importance to do you think the visual element plays?
I think the visual identity of music in general is really important, especially in these digital times! Most people, myself included, will judge a project or a blog post about it on the merits of the cover art before they decide whether to take a listen. It’s massively important that artists take the artwork aspect of their output seriously. Even if you’re doing a free download release, having great artwork can make the difference between people taking a chance on your music or passing it up.Freeform is under a year old. How has this first year been? What are some of the challenges you have faced?
Money is always tight when it comes to indie music, but we’ve been really lucky that people have been supportive of what we’re trying to do. I think the main thing has been trying to establish a presence with blogs & DJs. There’s so many people making music right now and so many collectives releasing under net label banners that it can be difficult to be taken seriously.I’m very lucky that i’ve released a few records over the past couple of years via the london based Futuristica Music imprint, so people know who I am to some extent. I think the next thing for FreeForm is to secure physical distribution, as at the moment we’re contacting & supplying shops direct, which is a LOT of work!!
What can you tell me about the artist you are working with?
Right now our roster is reasonably small. Aside from myself, theres:DistantStarr – A brilliant emcee out of Philapelphia. He’s worked with Blu, Hudson Mohawk & Mike Slott to name a few. I’d been a fan of the man for some time and finally decided to get in touch earlier this year….luckily for me he was looking for somewhere new to release material! Starr’s got some really great music coming out in 2012 with some amazing guest features too, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Sir Froderick & Chris Are – Continuing the Philly theme with two of my favourite producers. Their collaborative EP is scheduled for release in early 2012 and is sounding great!
Kwala – Our newest signing, whose new EP is coming out on 14th December. The nearest I can get to describing Kwala is ambient-post-dubstep-beats….
..he’s got a really individual sound, which I really dig.
There are a couple of other talented artists & producers we’re currently talking to, so hopefully our roster will continue to expand organically over the next year or so.
There are a couple of other talented artists & producers we’re currently talking to, so hopefully our roster will continue to expand organically over the next year or so.
Along with running the record, you are also putting your own music out through it. What can you tell me about your music?
Yeah the Mecca:83 stuff is my baby…..I guess the best way to desribe it is me trying to balance my influences! I’m a child of Hip Hop, with a passion for Jazz music and a healthy dose of love for the current instrumental beats scene. The Mecca:83 material is my attempt to balance those genres, incorporating elements of live instrumentation with hip hop beats and good old fashioned synths.
What kind of music will people find though Freeform?
As a collective of artists and musicians we all have our roots in Hip Hop, each of us branching out in different directions from that starting point. Some of it could be defined as “Future Soul” or “Beat Music”, but I like to think of it as Hip Hop for open minded people!
Its clear this is a lot of inspiration from both Hip Hop and electronic music. What are your thoughts on how these 2 cultures have been coming together over the last few years?
There’s been a real move back towards the electronic side of things in the past 5 years or so. To me it seems like a logical return to the source: when you go back to 80′s Hip Hop like Just Ice & Mantronix, that was ALL synth and drum machines. To me it’s all a part of Hip Hop culture, which is why I never understand the true school heads who put it down!
Hip Hop is a constantly evolving artform, which I think is the beauty of it. It’s a movement that started out with funk breaks and rapping over disco instrumentals, progressed through the synths and early drum machines, solidified itself through sampling and re-interpreting it’s roots…..and now people are moving it forward with new rhythms and sounds. It’s a beautiful thing to me.
Hip Hop is a constantly evolving artform, which I think is the beauty of it. It’s a movement that started out with funk breaks and rapping over disco instrumentals, progressed through the synths and early drum machines, solidified itself through sampling and re-interpreting it’s roots…..and now people are moving it forward with new rhythms and sounds. It’s a beautiful thing to me.
